January 16th – Other people’s bicycles. As I came out of New Street Station this morning, stamping and puffing in the cold whilst waiting for the lights, my gaze turned to the crush railings on the junction. I don’t normally see bikes chained here for some reason, but today, there were two – both nice steeds. A minimalist, no nonsense, Carlton-based homebrew fixie, with beautiful Brooks saddle, and also a veritable behemoth of a tourer. The tourer put me in mind of a Dutch roadster, but had derailleur gears, cantilever brakes and the frame wasn’t right – although the dutch lock and improvised loop to the similar Brooks bum-comforter did make me wonder if the two owners were connected. I found the butterfly handlebars – the cycling equivalent of ape hangers – made for a monster cockpit. Both bikes were clearly well loved and ridden. When I returned 8 hours later, the Carlton had gone, so I guess the owners weren’t together, after all. Interesting steeds.
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